. >> reporter: when arizona congresswoman gabby giffords was shot, lapierre said it happened not far from a school, a gun-free zone. once again, he lit into his foes. >> it didn't make any difference. their laws don't work. their lies don't ring true. and if tucson tells us anything at all, it tells us this. government failed. >> reporter: now even with newtown still close at hand, he says it is gun control advocates who are endangering america. >> we believe in our right to defend ourselves. and our families, with semiautomatic firearms technology. >> reporter: still, for all his bluster, lapierre has turned the nra into a political juggernaut, amassing more than four million members and pouring $16 million into political races last year alone. making politicians fear not only his bark but also his bite. erin? >> thanks to tom foreman. >>> still to come, controversy? what controversy? if you haven't heard about this, here goes. the question is are companies playing the race card and why are we falling for it. the ad of the super bowl. >>> later in the show, seafoam, as high as ten f